Traveling contact device for electric railways



No. 606,828. Patehted July 5, I898.

a. -wasrnmnousaz.

TRAVELING CONTACT DEVICE FORtLE-CTRIG RAILWAYS.

(Appiication filed Apr. 6, 1896. Renewed Mar. 16, 1897.) (No Model.) 2Sheets-Shaet I.

@ M 1 Lb 1 WITNESSES: INVENTOR m: scams Firms 00., PHOTO-LITNOHwAsnmumu. a. c.

No. 606,828. Patented IuIy 5, I898.

G. WESTINGHOUSE.

TRAVELING CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELI-:cTmcRAILwAYs.

(Application filed Apr. 6, 1896. Renewed Mar. 16, 1897.)

' 2 Sheets-Shaet 2.

(No Model.)

I E, I l a. I I7: I i 8. r I) I I I I m N I 3 I I I I II I a I I I I I"I Q I w I III II]- En E; I q; '-:I I I 1 I I o I E I x I i I 1 I 2 I IIi A 1 INVENTOI? @w $3M w W ATTORNEY.

m: NORRIS PETERS co, PnoYmumu, WASNINGTON. I:v a.

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, on PITTSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAVELING CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,828, dated July 5,1898.

Application filed April 6 1896. Renewed March 16, 1897. Serial No.627,895. (No model.)

Contact Devices for ElectricRailways, (Case 7 No. 697,) of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus employed in connection withelectrically-propelled vehicles for making contact with overhead conduc-The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the characterspecified which shall be simple and durable in construction andefficient in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a contactdevice and its supporting-arm, a portion of the latter beingbroken away.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the supporting-arm,and Fig. 3 is a corresponding view of the upper portion of the arm andthe contact device or head. Fig. 4 is a View, partially in sideelevation and partiallyin section, of a boom and the lower portion of acontact-supporting arm mounted on a car and provided with my im:provements. portion of the boom and its supporting-base. Fig. 6 is aplan view of one of the stationary locking devices. Fig. 7 is a verticalsection through the outer end of the boom, taken on line as of Fig. 4;and Figs. Sand 9 are perspective views of two forms of stationarycontact device.

Reference being now had to the drawings in detail, 1 is a portion of thetop of a car, and 2 is a supporting base-plate suitably fastened theretomidway of its ends.

3 is a tubular boom, the inner enlarged end 4 of which is provided witha stud 5, which fits into the bearing-socket 6 in the supporting-base 2.This stud is provided with a circumferential groove 7 for the receptionof two pins 8, which are inserted through suit- Fig. is a similar viewof a,

able openings in the bearing-socket 6,-which register tangentially withthe groove 7. A coiled spring9 is located in the part 4jof the boom andbears at one end against a stationary plate 10. The other end of thespring bears against a movable plate or head 11.

2 is a short piece of tubing which is inserted in the end of the part 4and held in 1 fixed position by means of a set-screw 13 in order toserve as a stop for the plate or head 11. A rod 14 extends through theboom 3 and is screw-threaded for a portion of. its

length and provided with nuts bearin g against the plate 1], which maybe adjusted in position in order to vary the pressure exerted by thespring 9. This rod is also provided with nuts which impinge against theplate or head when the contact-supporting arm is in its highestposition. The outer end of the rod 14 is pivoted to a short arm 15,projecting downwardly from the contact-supporting arm 16.

Pivotally mounted on a projecting lug or lugs at the lower side of theboom 3 is an arm 17, provided at one end with a contact-roller 18, whichis pressed downwardly by a coiled spring 19. This roller 18 makescontact with a stationary contact-piece 20 when the boom islocked in itsproper working position. Only one of these'stationary contact-pieces 20is shown; but it will be understood that two will be employed the one,not shown corresponding in position to the opposite side ofthepivotalsupport of the boom, The circuit through the motors andcontrolling apparatus is completed through this arm 17, roller 18, andstationary contact 20, as is indicated by the dot ted lines in Fig. 4 ofthe drawings. The particular form of contact device employed is ob--viously not material. v

, In Fig. 9 is shown a device 20?, slightlydifferent from the device 20,(shown in Figs. 4 and 8,) which may beemployed, if desired, or onehaving a plain contact-surface would be suitable for use in lieu of onehaving the trough-shaped contact-surface indicated in the drawings. Theouter end of the boom is provided with depending lugs 21, in which ismounted a sliding bolt 22, normally pressed inward by means of a coiledspring 23. This bolt 22 engages between the inner ends of locking-dogs24, which are mounted in a suitable casting 25 and are pressed outwardby means of a coiled spring 26, connecting lugs 27, projecting laterallyfrom their inner ends. The casting is provided at each end with a roller28, with which bearing-arms 29, projecting laterally from the boom,engage when the boom is swung into position to be locked. These arms 29,as indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawings, have curved or beveled outerends in order that they may ride freely and easily over the rollers 28,with which they engage. They are also made of sufficient length toatford an extended bearing-surface for engagement with the upper surfaceof the cast-ing 25 in order to obviate any rocking tendency of the boomand the arm and contact device carried thereby. Pivotally mountedbetween lugs projecting from the outer end of the boom is a lever 30,the lower end of one arm of which is pivoted to the outer end of thebolt 22, and the upper end of the other arm of which has connected to ita cord 31, which extends along the arm 16, over a pulley 32 near theupper end of the arm, (see Fig. 3,) and downward into position to begrasped by the conductor or 1110- torman when it is desired to lower thearm and reverse the boom. The normal position of the lever is such thatthe arm 16 will be lowered materially below its normal position beforethe lever will be actuated to withdraw the bolt from between thelocking-dogs 2i. \Vhen in this position, a further pull upon the ropewill withdraw the bolt, and the boom may then be readily swung aroundinto its opposite position and locked against further movement. \Vhenthe rope is released, the spring 9, acting against the head 11, willelevate the arm 16. The contact device proper consists of a centralroller 33, mounted in a bearing head or frame 34:, and stationaryextensions 35 on each side of the roller. These extensions areapproximately horizontal, but may extend downward slightly, if desired,an d through each of them extends a rod 36, which from the end of theextension is bent outwardly and downwardly to form a guard and thendownwardly and inwardly toward the contact-arm 16. These inner ends areinserted in and suitably held in sockets in a head or collar 37.

In order to provide a sufiiciently-rigid supporting arm for the contactdevice, I construct that portion of it extending below the collar orhead 37 of two tubes 3%, instead of the single tube usually employed.

I claim as my invention 1. A contact device for engagement with overheadconductors and its supporting-arm, in combination with a reversing-boompivotally supported at or near one end and having two bearing-armsextending laterally therefrom at or near its outer end, and lockingmechanism, the stationary member of which is provided with abearing-plate and a pair of rollers with which said bearing-arms engage.

2. The combination with a contact device, its supportingarm and areversing-boom therefor, of a spring-actuated locking-bolt for saidboom, a pivoted lever connected to said belt at one end, and a cordextending from the other end of said lever through or over a guide nearthe outer end of the supporting-arm.

3. The combination with a contact device and its supporting-arm, of atubular reversing-boom, a coiled spring seated therein, and meansextending through said boom and connecting said spring with a projectionfrom said supporting-arm, whereby the arm is normally yieldinglysupported in an elevated position.

a. The combination with a contact device and its supporting-arm, of atubular reversing-boom pivoted to a suitable support to swing in ahorizontal plane, and a hinge connection between the other end of theboom and the supporting-arm, a coiled spring located in said boom, amovable head or plate bearing against one end of the spring, and a rodextending through said boom and connecting said plate with a projectionon the supporting-arm.

5. The combination with a contact device for engagement with overheadconductors, a supporting-arm therefor, and a pivoted boom, to one end ofwhich the lower end of the supporting-arm is hinged, of means forlocking said boom in operative position, and a circuit-closing device,one member of which is carried by the b00111.

6. The combination with a device for making contact with overhead conduetors, a supporting-arm therefor and a pivoted boom to one end of whichthe lower end of the supporting-arm is pivoted or hinged, of means forautomatically locking the boom in operative position, a contact devicepivotally supported upon the boom, and a stationary cooperating contactdevice in position to be engaged by the said movable contact in order toclose the electric circuit when the boom is in operative position.

'7. A current-collector for electrically-propelled vehicles, comprisingan arm pivotally supported at one end and a head at its other end,consisting of a rotatable portion, a frame having bearings therefor,lateral stationary extensions and brace-rods forming continuations ofsaid extcnsions,said rods being curved outwardly and downwardly andlaterally with reference to the head proper to form guards, and thenceextending away from the head but inwardly to the supporting-arm.

S. The combination with a current-collecting device forelectrically-propellcd vehicles, of a reversible support therefor, meansfor locking said support in either of two positions and acircuit-closing device one member of which is carried by said support.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 4-th day ofApril, A. I).

GEO. WESTINGHOUSE. lVitnesscs:

WESLEY G. CARR, IIUBERT O. TENER.

